


Chocolate Hearts Still Melt

by KureKai_King



Category: Starry Palette (Video Game)
Genre: Boyfriends, Confession, F/M, First Love, Love, M/M, Valentine's, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-26 11:19:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17744954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KureKai_King/pseuds/KureKai_King
Summary: Kureha doesn't know what to do with the leftover chocolates he and stirRhythm made for their manager when Kazuyuki suggests he should finally fess up and admit his feelings to Kaito, because what better day to do it on than the holiday that celebrates love?





	Chocolate Hearts Still Melt

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!

"So...what exactly do we do about these?" Kureha rose a brow at the leftover chocolates he and his friends had made. The chocolate hearts all neatly wrapped in a foil tinted pink and a red ribbon tied neatly around the middle, finishing in a neat little bow at the front. He hummed to himself thoughtfully as he and Kazuyuki looked over the treats.

"Well...they're meant to be given to someone important, right? So...why don't you give one to Kaito?" Kazuyuki suggested, glancing over to see his friend's surprised and suddenly nervous looking expression, "You can't hide the fact you like him forever, Kureha. Not when it's so painfully obvious and we're all secretly rooting for you".

"Wh-What?! I'm that obvious...? Oooh... Well, what if Kaito doesn't even feel the same way?! It'd look pretty darn stupid of me to hand over one of these - or at least try to - only for him to flat out, straight up reject me. There's no use, Kazu, it's a hopeless crush that I pray to God goes away sometime soon. Kaito would  _never_ feel the way about me as I do about him".

Kazuyuki kept his smile on his face and touched the crook of Kureha's elbow lightly, "You never know until you try, isn't that what they all say? Go on Kureha, I know you can do it. And, even if Kaito doesn't feel the same way you do, at least it's better to get it off your chest and let him know, right? That way you can avoid all the sensitive stuff without hurting one another".

Kureha knew Kazuyuki was right, that he couldn't deny even if he tried. He supposed he really would just have to tell Kaito how he felt about him. How that played out was all down to Kaito's reaction. That was what frightened Kureha the most about the entire situation.

* * *

Kureha tugged at the collar of his hoodie, pulling it up to cover his mouth and nose much like a ninja mask would, the bitter chill in the still winter air chipped at his body, threatening to chill him to the bone. His jacket wasn't the most suitable at the moment, though he continued walking as best he could with the snow that had settled over the ground. Keeping his hands in his pocket, one occupying one of the chocolate hearts from earlier, he soon picked up the sound of giggling girls followed by a voice his ears had become very accustomed to.

Turning the corner of the block he had found himself on, Kureha halted, almost slipping on the ice forming beneath the snow, and his eyes widened at what he saw; Kaito was sat on a wall by the school grounds between a couple of girls who clearly did not go to their school (they wore a different uniform for a start, and Kureha had never seen them before in his life), a genuine smile on his face and bright ocean eyes as the girls playfully shoved him as they giggled amongst themselves.

Kureha watched, feeling his heart sink, as the two girls each gave Kaito a kiss on his cheeks before they hopped off the wall and waved goodbye to him, walking off down the street together, arms linked joyfully. When their giggling had grown faint enough that Kaito let go of his smile and was about to jump down from the wall himself, did Kureha make himself known - hiding the chocolate still.

"Kaito!" He called, his usual cheery tone and waved, quickly stepping across the street to join his crush, "I didn't know you were so popular with the girls, get you!" He tried to play it off jokingly, teasingly even, praying Kaito didn't see through his facade for once.

"Very funny," Kaito replied with a sigh, "And because I just know you're going to ask, no, they're not past girlfriends or anything like that. I just happen to know them, that's all".

"You're...sure? Because if you really were-"

"Not interested, Kureha".

Kureha sometimes forgot - more often than not - that he'd managed to convince Kaito into calling him by his first name these days. The redhead just smiled sheepishly and decided to drop the topic...for the meantime. In the end, curiosity got the better of him as he and Kaito walked back through the school's campus, "So, how come you know them both?"

"The girls?" Kaito shrugged, "I just know Tani and Tora from back when I was living at the Orphanage, that's all. It's really not that big of a deal".

"Oh, I see..." Kureha felt relief flood through him, so he still potentially had a chance. With that thought, he remembered the chocolate in his pocket and pulled on Kaito's arm to get him to stop walking. The blunette turned to him curiously and Kureha felt his anxiety building up again, "Um...K-Kaito? I, err...I have something for you..." he half-mumbled, pulling the treat from it's hiding place and presenting it to the other, a blush evidently reddening his cheeks.

"...Kureha, you do know how this holiday is supposed to work, don't you? Your impor-"

"You  _are_ my important someone! That's just it! I...I've never felt like this before, Kaito... Y-You've managed to put up with me and my stupidity for this long and it really made me fall for you. Th-They say a crush lasts for usually four months and if the feelings are still there after those four months then it means something more...," he could feel tears pricking at his eyes now, "A-And I can't help it! I like you..."

He cursed himself mentally when he felt the wetness from his eyes begin to mark trails down his cheeks, his shoulders shaking and his heart thumping wildly at God knows what speed anymore. He screwed his eyes shut and sucked in a shaky breath in the attempt to calm himself down. He had his eyes shoot open wide when Kaito pulled him into a hug, arms settled around his body and he wished he had the right to nuzzle the crook of his crush's neck sweetly.

"Kureha...I didn't realise..."

"Please, don't pity me...I don't think I could take it right now..." Kaito seemed to hold him tighter against himself, and Kureha hesitantly reached up to hug him back, clutching to the back of his shirt and resting his head on his shoulder with a silent sob and shaky breath, "I know you don't feel the same way I do, and i-it's fine. I still want to be your friend, Kaito, just don't hate me for this".

"I don't. I couldn't. I just want you to be happy. But, I..." Kaito took a deep breath before he pulled them both from the hug, yet still kept his arms around his friend, "I feel something for you, something more than just friendship. I-I don't know if it's exactly how you felt or still feel but I don't suppose I'd mind giving things a try if you're happy with that?"

"You...You really mean that? You'd really do that for me?"

Kaito half-smirked and there was a glint of something in his eyes, "They do say you never know until you try, don't they?"

Kureha laughed breathlessly, "Heh, I suppose they do, huh?"

He had Kaito run his thumbs beneath his eyes, wiping away the traces of his tears and drawing him into another hug, a smile present on both their faces and Kureha got his chance to nuzzle Kaito's neck, discovering that he was indeed a little bit ticklish there, and he knew that he would take full advantage of this discovery whenever he wanted to hear the rarity of Kaito's laugh again. The snow began to fall gently around them once again and Kaito fished out the chocolate heart from where he'd stashed it in his own pocket.

"Well, since I didn't know any of this was going to happen, and thus don't have anything for you in return, wanna share this with me? After all, lovers are supposed to be sharing their hearts, eh?"

Kureha giggled, cooing Kaito's name and blushing before nodding as he agreed to the idea. Being able to hold hands and link his fingers between Kaito's own felt like Heaven itself had blessed him as the two found an empty, unused classroom to enjoy their shared alone time together before their next class called for them to attend at the ring of the bell.


End file.
